Mistletoe and Lily
by lewisrose
Summary: Lily Evans is a very ordinary girl... or at least she thought she was...


My name is Lily Evans, and I'm a pretty normal sort of a girl.  
  
I was born in the Royal Oxford Infirmary, weight 7 lbs, length 21 inches, on the 27th of July, 1967. I inherited my mum's red hair and green eyes. I grew up in an ordinary middle-class family in a normal 3-bedroom bungalow in the suburbs of Oxford. My mum's an English lecturer at the university, and my dad's a lawyer in a smallish firm based in the city centre. I have a sister, Petunia; she's two years older than me, and a pet cat, Ginger. We're a pretty normal family. Petunia and I don't get on that well, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. I was just one of 30 painfully average kids who attended the nearby primary. I finished there at the beginning of July, and we had it all planned that I would follow in my sister's footsteps to the comprehensive a mile away. That was until this morning.  
  
I woke up to the chirping of birds in the tree outside my bedroom window. It was a sunny day, and I was looking forward to going to the park later with my best friend, Marty. I jumped out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, and went to help myself to some breakfast. There was no one there yet, as I expected. My mum was probably enjoying a lie in after working 24/7 for the last 3 months marking exams, and my dad was already gone to work, he's really busy working on a murder case at the moment. I was just about to tuck into my Rice Krispies when this great big bird came crashing through the door, which I had left open so as Ginger could go out if he wanted to. It swooped erratically around the room a few times, then it crash-landed in my cereal with a flurry of feathers. I was a bit miffed, but when I realised that it was a lesser-spotted barn owl I forgot that, and eagerly looked to see what it would do next. (I love birds, last year I did a project all about hawks for my assessments.) It sorta looked around all disorientated, then all of a sudden it seemed to recover and gave me a stern look, as if it were reprimanding me for not opening the door for me. The resemblance as it did that to my Year 5 class teacher was uncanny. That was when I first realised that something odd was going on - I mean, how often does a highly rare species of bird crash through your back door and land in your bowl of cereal, at 10 o'clock in the morning, and then, seemingly unhurt, give you a look that's almost human?! Then this bird stood up and dropped an envelope into my lap, gave me a look full of disdain, and flew off again, this time being careful to miss the door.  
  
Petunia was just coming into the kitchen, yawning in a carefully languid manner (she's a bit of an affected snob at times). When she saw this bird swooping through the door, she screamed and then shouted for Mum. "Mum, she's doing it again! She's got one of her animals in the kitchen!!!!"  
"I do not!! That bird came in of its own accord!" I shouted back, my redhead temper awakening.  
"Oh yeah? Like the tortoise. and the cat from down the road. and the squirrel you found in the park last week?" she sneered back.  
"Girls!!" my mum exclaimed, shocked at such an outburst from us. "Quieten down! Now, Lily, what's going on?"  
  
I told her the whole story, and then, as evidence, held up the envelope that had landed in my lap, indicating the dent in the door and the feathers littering the table.  
  
On closer inspection, the letter proved to have my address written in green ink, and a strange crest on the back. Intrigued, I opened it.  
  
That letter was the letter which changed my life.  
  
My name is Lily Evans, and this is my story.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
When I finally found a seat in a fairly empty compartment on the Hogwarts' Express, I collapsed thankfully into it, not heeding the three boys who were looking curiously at me. The last few weeks had been so full of strange and exciting new experiences that I was slightly brain-dead. The exclamations when I told my news, my mother's of surprise and delight, Petunia's of unbelieving disgust; the trip to London; Diagon Alley; the purchases we had made there; going to King's Cross that morning; finally finding our way onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. all had merged to form a delightful but none the less tiring fortnight, and I was glad to finally have a time to wind down.  
  
Slowly I re-awoke from my daze, vaguely aware of someone trying to get my attention. I peered at the face which loomed in front of me, trying to get it into focus.  
"Hello? Anyone in?" It was saying.  
"Wha.? Who.? Whassuupp.?" I slurred, unable to get the words out right.  
"She's alive!" came from someone behind the face, which was now retreating slightly. As it swam into focus, I examined it, trying to work out what was happening.  
  
It was a cute face: untidy black hair and hazel eyes with a cheeky twinkle in them. It smiled at me. Pulling myself into a sitting position, I smiled uncertainly back at the three boys who I could now see.  
"James Potter, pleased to meet ya," said the face, which I could now see was attached to a rather nice body. "These," he indicated with a jerk of his thumb, "are Remus Lupin and Sirius Black."  
"Hi," I answered, overcoming my momentary shyness. "Lily Evans, how you doin'?"  
"We were wondering if you would like to join us for a visit to the refreshment trolley?" he queried in a posh tone. I bit my lip to keep from smiling.  
"Wha', honey, shure Ah will. Just gotta go switch ma clothin' fuhst uv all. You guys know of a powder room on this 'ere train?" I replied, imitating my gran's deep south American drawl.  
"Don't bother," a grinning James replied in his normal tone, "There's still a few hours to go before we reach. Coming?" We followed him out of the compartment, the roots of a strong friendship already in place.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
The years passed quickly, and in what seemed like no time at all, Lily was in her fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In her sixteenth year, she was no longer the scrawny creature who had stepped onto the train all those years ago. Beneath her school robes, her figure had filled out, her hair had grown and matured into a mass of burnished copper, and her sparkling eyes were greener than ever. A smile always graced her lips, and she always had time for those in distress. All liked her, and she had an ever-expanding group of friends.  
  
James, Sirius and Remus had grown to be her close friends, but seen most often at her side was Hazel, a laughing, brown-eyed beauty, with a heart of gold. The two shared a close bond, for both were compassionate, loving, and kind; when seen together they seemed surrounded by a golden mist, as if nothing could mar their perfect lives.  
  
One day Lily was worried. "I can't find Hazel!" she told James whilst they stroked a unicorn during Care of Magical Creatures. "She wasn't in potions, and she didn't show up for lunch either. She's never missing like this!"  
"Lily, calm down, it's OK. She's probably in a dormitory somewhere with someone, trying to cheer them up after a break-up or something, you know what she's like!" James replied, giving her a quick hug. "Trust me, she'll turn up at dinner."  
  
Lily, however, was not to be consoled. She had this . gut feeling . that there was something wrong. Just as they were about to set off back to the castle, she spotted Professor McGonagall heading towards them. "What can she want?" Lily pondered. "You haven't been up to anything, have you?" she asked James.  
"No, not since we put flobberworms in Malfoy's bed," he chuckled. "And I've already had my detention for that,"  
"Honestly, you should grow up."  
"Evans, can I have a word?" interrupted Professor McGonagall, her face white and drawn. "What are you in next? Charms? I'll have to tell Professor Flitwick you might be late. The headmaster would like to see you. Potter, maybe you had better come along too."  
  
"I am most dreadfully sorry," Professor Dumbledore was saying. "If there's anything I can do to help?" Lily moved her gaze to the headmaster's face. "Sorry sir, what was it you just said?" She noticed that James was looking at her strangely. He looked very white. Slowly Dumbledore's words began to penetrate her mind. Hazel. Killed. Voldemort. The world was spinning around her.  
".it was just before lunch. She was walking by the lake with another girl. There was nothing anyone could do. I am most dreadfully sorry." Blessed darkness surrounded her. Unconscious, she crumpled on the floor.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"I think she's coming round. no sudden movements though, she's still in shock and we don't want to scare her," Madam Pomfrey was saying to the boys, as they walked towards the window bed. Sirius nodded assent, but James seemed strangely abstracted. "What? Oh, yes, yes of course," he replied, jolted back to reality by Sirius' sharp nip. "What is up with you? You haven't been yourself since Friday!" Sirius hissed as Madam Pomfrey left them. "Oh, I suppose I'm just a bit in shock too, you know," his friend replied absentmindedly. There was time for only a disbelieving sniff on Sirius' part before they drew up chairs and sat down by the bed.  
  
Lily did seem to be coming out of her stupor. There was more colour in her cheeks than there had been for the past days, and occasionally her eyelids would flicker. The boys sat chatting half-heartedly to the un-responding body for a while, then gradually trailed off into silence. Lily's breathing was becoming faster, and she certainly seemed to be more alert. All of a sudden she opened her eyes, and looked around, confused. "Where am I? What's going on? I've had the most dreadful nightmare." She shivered. "Hey! How come you two are in my dorm? Hang on. this isn't my dorm! Where am I?" Almost hysterical, she sat up and looked around.  
"It wasn't a nightmare, Lily," James said, not daring to look her in the eyes. The truth took a while to hit. She grew whiter and whiter, then fell forward into his arms, sobbing her heart out. Uncertainly, James put his arms around her, nervously patting and stroking her hair. Sirius looked on, a look of realisation on his face. "Shock? Yeah right!" he thought to himself.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Disclaimer: The characters, setting etc. are J.K. Rowling's, not mine.  
  
Please review and tell me what you think. Also, if you notice any mistakes, please tell me, I'd appreciate it! Thanks!  
  
*~lewisrose~* 


End file.
